VMware Converter

VMware vCenter Converter StandaloneUser's Guide

vCenter Converter Standalone 5.5

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VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide

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Contents

About This Book 7

1 Introduction to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone 9

Migration with Converter Standalone 9Converter Standalone Components 10Cloning and System Configuration of Physical Machines 10

Hot Cloning of Physical Machines 11Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Windows 11Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running Linux 12

Types of Data Cloning Operations 14Volume-Based Cloning 14Disk-Based Cloning 14Full and Linked Clones 15

Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources and System Images 15System Settings Affected by Conversion 16Changes to Virtual Hardware After Virtual Machine Migration 16

2 System Requirements 17

Supported Operating Systems 17Supported Firmware Interfaces 18Supported Source Types 19Supported Destination Types 20Supported Source Disk Types 21Supported Destination Disk Types 22Support for IPv6 in Converter Standalone 23Installation Space Requirements 23Screen Resolution Requirements 24Configuring Permissions for vCenter Users 24TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for Conversion 25Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems 26

Ensure that Windows Firewall Does Not Block File and Printer Sharing 27Turn Off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP Professional 27Prepare the Guest Operating System for Customization 27

3 Conversion Limitations 29

Conversion Limitations for Powered On Machines 29Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual Machines 29Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or System Images 30Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows Sources 31

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4 Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone 33Perform a Local Installation on Windows 33Perform a Client-Server Installation in Windows 34Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows 36Command-Line Options for Windows Installation 36Modify Converter Standalone in Windows 37Repair Converter Standalone in Windows 38Uninstall Converter Standalone in Windows 39Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server 39

5 Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine 41

Start the Wizard for a Conversion 42Select a Source Machine to Convert 42

Select a Powered On Windows Machine to Convert 43Select a Powered On Linux Machine to Convert 44Select an ESX/ ESXi or vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert 44Select a VMware Hosted Virtual Machine to Convert 46Select a Backup Image or a Third-Party Virtual Machine to Convert 46Select a Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert 47

Select a Destination for the New Virtual Machine 48Select a Managed Destination 48Select a Hosted Destination 50

Configure the Hardware of the Destination Virtual Machine 51Organize the Data to Be Copied on the Destination Machine 51Edit the Number of Processor Sockets and Cores 61Allocate Memory for the Destination Virtual Machine 61Select a Disk Controller for the Destination Virtual Machine 62Configure the Network Settings of the Destination Virtual Machine 63Configure the Network for the Helper Virtual Machine 63

Configure the Software on the Destination Virtual Machine 64Customize the Windows Guest Operating System 64Install VMware Tools on the Destination Virtual Machine 68Remove System Restore Checkpoints 68

Configure the Conversion Job 69Set the Startup Mode for Destination Services 70Stop Services Running on the Source Machine 71Synchronize the Destination Machine with Changes Made to the Source Machine 71Power Off the Source Machine After Conversion 72Power On the Destination Virtual Machine After Conversion 73Limit the Amount of Resources Used by the Conversion Job 73Uninstall Converter Standalone Agent from the Source Machine 74

Review the Summary and Submit the Conversion Job 74

6 Configure Virtual Machines 77

Save Sysprep Files 77Start the Configuration Wizard 78Select a Source Machine to Configure 78

Select a vSphere Virtual Machine to Configure 79


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Select a VMware Desktop Virtual Machine to Configure 80Select the Options to Configure 81

Install VMware Tools on a Virtual Machine 81Customize the Windows Guest Operating System 81Remove System Restore Checkpoints 85Reconfiguring a Virtual Machine To Boot Properly 85

Review and Submit the Configuration Job 85

7 Manage Conversion and Configuration Jobs and Tasks 87

Manage Jobs in the Job List 87Add a Job to the Job List 88View the Running Task of a Job 88Deactivate a Job 88Delete a Job 89Create a Job by Copying an Existing Job 89Filter the Jobs in the Jobs List 89Add a Synchronization Task to a Conversion Job 90

Manage Tasks in the Task List 91Control the Number of Tasks Running Concurrently 91Set the Number of Data Connections per Task 92View the Job to Which a Task Belongs 92Cancel a Task 92Filter the Tasks in the Task List 93

Verify Jobs and Tasks Progress and the Log Files 94View Task Progress 94Export the Log Files for Jobs 94Export the Log Files for a Task 95Back-End and Client Log Files Locations 95

Index 97

Contents

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6 VMware, Inc.

About This Book

The VMware vCenter Converter Standalone User's Guide provides information about installing and usingVMwarevCenter Converter Standalone.

Intended AudienceThis book is intended for users who want to perform the following tasks:

n Install, upgrade, or use Converter Standalone

n Convert physical and virtual machines into VMware virtual machines

The material is written for information systems engineers, software developers, QA engineers, trainers,salespeople who run demonstrations, and anyone who wants to create virtual machines.

VMware Technical Publications GlossaryVMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitionsof terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Document FeedbackVMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send yourfeedback to [email protected].

Technical Support and Education ResourcesThe following technical support resources are available to you. To access the current version of this bookand other books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Online and TelephoneSupport

To use online support to submit technical support requests, view yourproduct and contract information, and register your products, go to http://www.vmware.com/support.

VMware, Inc. 7

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubsmailto:[email protected]://www.vmware.com/support/pubshttp://www.vmware.com/support

Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone supportfor the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html.

Support Offerings To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your businessneeds, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/services.

VMware ProfessionalServices

VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, casestudy examples, and course materials designed to be used as on-the-jobreference tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and liveonline. For onsite pilot programs and implementation best practices,VMware Consulting Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan,build, and manage your virtual environment. To access information abouteducation classes, certification programs, and consulting services, go to http://www.vmware.com/services.


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Introduction toVMware vCenter ConverterStandalone 1

VMware vCenter Converter Standalone is a product to convert virtual and physical machines to VMwarevirtual machines. You can also configure existing virtual machines in your vCenter Server environment.

Converter Standalone eases the exchange of virtual machines among the following products.

n VMware hosted products can be both conversion sources and conversion destinations.

n VMware Workstation

n VMware Fusion

n VMware Player

n Virtual machines running on an ESX or ESXi instance that vCenter Server manages can be conversionsources and the corresponding ESX, ESXi, and vCenter Server instances can be conversion destinations.

n Virtual machines running on unmanaged ESX or ESXi hosts can be conversion sources and thecorresponding ESX or ESXi hosts can be conversion destinations.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Migration with Converter Standalone, on page 9

n Converter Standalone Components, on page 10

n Cloning and System Configuration of Physical Machines, on page 10

n Types of Data Cloning Operations, on page 14

n Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources and System Images, on page 15

n System Settings Affected by Conversion, on page 16

n Changes to Virtual Hardware After Virtual Machine Migration, on page 16

Migration with Converter StandaloneMigration with Converter Standalone involves converting physical machines, virtual machines, and systemimages for use in VMware hosted and managed products.

You can convert virtual machines that vCenter Server manages for use in other VMware products. You canuse Converter Standalone to perform a number of conversion tasks.

n Import running remote physical and virtual machines as virtual machines to standalone ESX/ESXi or toESX/ESXi hosts that vCenter Server manages.

n Import virtual machines hosted by VMware Workstation or Microsoft Hyper-V Server to ESX/ESXihosts that vCenter Server manages.

n Import third-party backup or disk images to ESX/ESXi hosts that vCenter Server manages.

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n Export virtual machines managed by vCenter Server hosts to other VMware virtual machine formats.

n Configure virtual machines managed by vCenter Server so that they are bootable, and install VMwareTools or customize their guest operating systems.

n Customize guest operating systems of virtual machines in the vCenter Server inventory (for example,change the host name or network settings).

n Reduce the time needed to set up new virtual machine environments.

n Migrate legacy servers to new hardware without reinstalling operating systems or application software.

n Perform migrations across heterogeneous hardware.

n Readjust volume sizes and place volumes on separate virtual disks.

Converter Standalone ComponentsThe Converter Standalone application consists of Converter Standalone server,Converter Standalone worker, Converter Standalone client, and Converter Standalone agent.

Converter Standaloneserver

Enables and performs the import and export of virtual machines. TheConverter Standalone server comprises two services, Converter Standaloneserver and Converter Standalone worker. The Converter Standalone workerservice is always installed with the Converter Standalone server service.

Converter Standaloneagent

The Converter Standalone server installs the agent on Windows physicalmachines to import them as virtual machines. You can choose to remove theConverter Standalone agent from the physical machine automatically ormanually after the import is complete.

Converter Standaloneclient

The Converter Standalone server works with the Converter Standaloneclient. The client component consists of the Converter Standalone userinterface, which provides access to the Conversion and the Configurationwizards, and lets you to manage the conversion and the configuration tasks.

Cloning and System Configuration of Physical MachinesWhen you convert a physical machine, Converter Standalone uses cloning and system reconfiguration stepsto create and configure the destination virtual machine so that it works successfully in vCenter Server andhosted environments. Because the migration process does not delete or modify the source, you can continueto use the original source machine after the conversion completes.

Cloning is the process of copying the source physical disks or volumes for the destination virtual machine.Cloning involves copying the data on the source machines hard disk and transferring that data to adestination virtual disk. The destination virtual disk might have a different size, file layout, and othercharacteristics, and thus might not be an exact copy of the source disk.

System reconfiguration adjusts the migrated operating system so that it to functions on the new virtualhardware .

If you plan to run an imported virtual machine on the same network as the source physical machine, youmust modify the network name and IP address on one of the machines so that the physical and virtualmachines can coexist. Besides, you must make sure that the Windows source machine and the destinationvirtual machine have different computer names.

NOTE Before converting a physical machine, verify that you have the proper Windows license.


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Hot Cloning of Physical MachinesWith Converter Standalone, you can perform hot cloning.

Hot cloning, also called live cloning or online cloning, requires converting the source machine while it isrunning its operating system. Hot cloning lets you clone machines without shutting them down.

Because processes continue to run on the source machine during conversion, the resulting virtual machine isnot an exact copy of the source machine.

When converting Windows sources, you can set Converter Standalone to synchronize the destination virtualmachine with the source machine after hot cloning. Synchronization is performed by transferring from thesource to the destination the blocks that were changed during the initial cloning period. To avoid loss ofdata on the destination virtual machine, Converter Standalone can shut down certain Windows servicesbefore the synchronization. Based on your settings, Converter Standalone shuts down the selected Windowsservices so that no critical changes occur on the source machine while destination is being synchronized.

Converter Standalone can shut down the source machine and power on the destination machine when theconversion process is complete. When combined with synchronization, this action allows seamlessmigration of a physical machine source to a virtual machine destination. The destination machine takes overthe source machine operations with the least possible downtime.

NOTE When you hot clone dual-boot systems, you can clone only the default operating system to which theboot.ini file or the BCD points. To clone the nondefault operating system, change the boot.ini file or theBCD to point to the other operating system and reboot. After the other operating system is booted, you canhot clone it. If your second operating system is Linux, you can boot it and clone it using the standardprocedure for cloning Linux physical machine sources.

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running WindowsYou can use the Conversion wizard to set up conversion tasks and Converter Standalone componentsperform all of the cloning tasks.

The following workflow is an example of remote hot cloning in which the physical machine being clonedexperiences no downtime.

1 Converter Standalone prepares the source machine for the conversion.

Converter Standalone installs the agent on the source machine and the agent takes a snapshot of thesource volumes.

agent

vCenter Converter Standalone running on Windows machine

powered-onphysical machine ESX/ESXi

source destination

network

snapshot

sourcevolumes

2 Converter Standalone prepares the virtual machine on the destination machine.

Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vCenter Converter Standalone

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Converter Standalone creates a virtual machine on the destination machine and the agent copiesvolumes from the source machine to the destination machine.

agent



copied volumes

source destination

network

snapshot

VM

sourcevolumes

3 Converter Standalone completes the conversion process.

The agent installs the required drivers to allow the operating system to boot in a virtual machine andpersonalizes the virtual machine (changes the IP information, for example).

agent



source destination

network

VM

sourcevolumes snapshot

reconfigurationcustomization (optional)

4 Optionally, Converter Standalone uninstalls the agent from the source machine.

The virtual machine is ready to run on the destination server.

Remote Hot Cloning of Physical Machine Sources That Are Running LinuxThe conversion process of physical machines that are running Linux operating systems differs from that ofWindows machines.

In Windows conversions, the Converter Standalone agent is installed on the source machine and the sourceinformation is pushed to the destination.

In Linux conversions, no agent is deployed on the source machine. Instead, a helper virtual machine iscreated and deployed on the destination ESX/ESXi host. The source data is then copied from the sourceLinux machine to the helper virtual machine. After the conversion is complete, the helper virtual machineshuts down to become the destination virtual machine the next time you power it on.

Converter Standalone supports conversion of Linux sources only to managed destinations.


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The following workflow demonstrates the principles of hot cloning physical machine sources that run Linuxto managed destinations.

1 Converter Standalone uses SSH to connect to the source machine and retrieves source information.Converter Standalone creates an empty helper virtual machine based on your conversion task settings.The helper virtual machine serves as a container for the new virtual machine during conversion.Converter Standalone deploys the helper virtual machine on the managed destination, an ESX/ESXihost. The helper virtual machine boots from a *.iso file that is located on the ConverterStandalone server machine.

vCenter Converter Standalone agent and server

Converter Standalone agent deploys helper virtual machine

powered-on Linuxmachine ESX/ESXi

source destination

network

Helper VM

sourcevolumes

2 The helper virtual machine powers on, boots from the Linux image, connects to the source machinethrough SSH, and starts retrieving the selected data from the source. While you set up the conversiontask, you can select which source volumes to be copied to the destination machine.

vCenter Converter Standalone agent and server

powered-on Linuxmachine

data copied to the helper virtual machine

ESX/ESXi

source destination

network

Helper VM

sourcevolumes

3 Optionally, after data is copied, the destination virtual machine is reconfigured to allow the operatingsystem to boot in a virtual machine.

4 Converter Standalone shuts down the helper virtual machine. The conversion process is complete.

You can configure Converter Standalone to power on the newly created virtual machine after theconversion is complete.


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Types of Data Cloning OperationsConverter Standalone supports disk-based cloning, volume-based cloning, and linked-cloning modes.

Table 11. Cloning ModesData Copy Types Application Description

Volume based Copy volumes from the sourcemachine to the destination machine.

Volume-based cloning is relativelyslow. File-level cloning is slower thanblock-level cloning. Dynamic disks areconverted into basic volumes on thetarget virtual machine.

Disk based Create copies of the source machines,for all types of basic and dynamicdisks.

You cannot select which data to copy.Disk-based cloning is faster thanvolume-based cloning.

Linked clone Use to quickly check compatibility ofnon-VMware images

For certain third-party sources, thelinked clone is corrupted if you poweron the source machine after theconversion. Linked cloning is thefastest (but incomplete) cloning modethat Converter Standalone supports.

Volume-Based CloningDuring volume-based cloning, volumes from the source machine are copied to the destination machine.Converter Standalone supports volume-based cloning during hot cloning, and during the import of existingvirtual machines.

During volume-based cloning, all volumes in the destination virtual machine, except LVM2 logical volumes,are converted to basic volumes, regardless of their type in the corresponding source volume. LVM2 logicalvolumes can be preserved as logical volumes during conversion.

Volume-based cloning is performed at the file level or block level, depending on the destination volume sizethat you select.

Volume-based cloningat the file level

Performed when you select a size smaller than the original volume for NTFSvolumes or you choose to resize a FAT volume.

For FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, and ReiserFS file systems,Converter Standalone preserves the file system type during a volume-basedcloning at the file level.

Dynamic source disks are read but not preserved during volume-basedconversions. Dynamic disks are converted into basic volumes on the targetvirtual machine.

Volume-based cloningat the block level

Performed when you choose to preserve the size of the source volume orwhen you specify a larger volume size for NTFS source volumes. Volume-based cloning at the block level is supported only for Windows.

Disk-Based CloningConverter Standalone supports disk-based cloning to import existing virtual machines.

Disk-based cloning transfers all sectors from all disks and preserves all volume metadata. The destinationvirtual machine receives partitions of the same type, size, and structure, as the partitions of the sourcevirtual machine. All volumes on the source machine's partitions are copied as they are.

Disk-based cloning supports all types of basic and dynamic disks.


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Full and Linked ClonesClones can be full or linked depending on the amount of data copied from the source to the destinationmachine.

A full clone is an independent copy of a virtual machine that shares nothing with the parent virtual machineafter the cloning operation. Ongoing operation of a full clone is separate from the parent virtual machine.

Because a full clone does not share virtual disks with the parent virtual machine, full clones generallyperform better than linked clones. Full clones take longer to create than linked clones. Creating a full clonecan take several minutes if the files involved are large.

You can create a full clone by using any disk clone type other than the linked clone type.

A linked clone is a copy of a virtual machine that shares virtual disks with the parent virtual machine in anongoing manner. A linked clone is a fast way to convert and run a new virtual machine. You can create alinked clone from the current state, or snapshot, of a powered off virtual machine. This practice conservesdisk space and lets multiple virtual machines use the same software installation.

All files available on the source machine at the moment of the snapshot continue to remain available to thelinked clone. Ongoing changes to the virtual disk of the parent do not affect the linked clone, and changes tothe disk of the linked clone do not affect the source machine. If you make changes to a source Virtual PCand Virtual Server machines, or to LiveState images, the linked clone is corrupted and cannot be usedanymore.

A linked clone must have access to the source. Without access to the source, you cannot use a linked clone.

For more information about how to create a linked clone, see Create a Linked Clone, on page 60.

Using Converter Standalone with Virtual Machine Sources andSystem Images

With Converter Standalone, you can convert virtual machines and system images, and configure VMwarevirtual machines.

Converting virtualmachines

You can convert VMware virtual machines from and to Workstation,VMware Player, VMware Fusion, Hyper-V, ESX, ESXi Embedded, andESXi Installable. You can also import virtual machines from MicrosoftVirtual Server and Virtual PC.

To be able to run an imported VMware virtual machine and its source virtualmachine on the same network, you must modify the network name and IPaddress on one of the virtual machines. Modifying the network name and IPaddress lets the original and new virtual machines to coexist on the samenetwork.

Configuring virtualmachines

If the VMware virtual machines have disks that have been populated byusing a backup of a physical host, Converter Standalone prepares the imageto run on VMware virtual hardware. If you have used third-partyvirtualization software to create a virtual machine on an ESX host, you canuse Converter Standalone to reconfigure it. You can also reconfigure anyoperating system installed on a multiboot machine if you have imported thevirtual machine to an ESX host. Before you reconfigure a multiboot machine,you must change the boot.ini file or the BCD.


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System Settings Affected by ConversionA VMware virtual machine that Converter Standalone creates contains a copy of the disk state of the sourcephysical machine, virtual machine, or system image. Some hardware-dependent drivers and sometimes themapped drive letters might not be preserved.

The following source computer settings remain unchanged:

n Operating system configuration (computer name, security ID, user accounts, profiles, preferences, andso on)

n Applications and data files

n Volume serial number for each disk partition

Because the target and the source virtual machines or system images have the same identities (name, SID,and so on), running them on the same network might result in conflicts. To redeploy the source virtualmachine or system image, make sure that you do not run the source and target images or virtual machineson the same network at the same time.

For example, if you use Converter Standalone to test whether you can run a Virtual PC virtual machine as aVMware virtual machine without first decommissioning the original Virtual PC machine, you must firstresolve the duplicate ID problem. You can resolve this problem by customizing the virtual machines in theConversion or the Configuration wizard.

Changes to Virtual Hardware After Virtual Machine MigrationAfter conversion, most applications function correctly on the VMware virtual machine because theirconfiguration and data files have the same location as on the source virtual machine. However, applicationsmight not work if they depend on specific characteristics of the underlying hardware, such as the serialnumber or the device manufacturer.

Several hardware changes might occur after you migrate a virtual machine.

Table 12. Hardware Changes After Virtual Machine MigrationHardware Behavior

CPU model and serial numbers Might change after migration. They correspond to the physical computerhosting the VMware virtual machine.

Ethernet adapters Might change for AMD PCNet or VMXnet and get different MAC addresses.The IP address of each interface must be individually reconfigured.

USB adapters Might be updated during the cloning process.

Graphics cards Might change after migration (VMware SVGA card).

Disks and partitions The number of disks and partitions might change during the cloning process.Each disk device might have a different model and different manufacturerstrings.

Primary disk controllers Might differ from the source machine.

Applications that depend on devices that are not available within a virtual machine might not work afteryou migrate the virtual machine.


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System Requirements 2You must consider the compatibilities and the interoperabilities among the systems on which and withwhich the Converter Standalone components work.


n Supported Operating Systems, on page 17

n Supported Firmware Interfaces, on page 18

n Supported Source Types, on page 19

n Supported Destination Types, on page 20

n Supported Source Disk Types, on page 21

n Supported Destination Disk Types, on page 22

n Support for IPv6 in Converter Standalone, on page 23

n Installation Space Requirements, on page 23

n Screen Resolution Requirements, on page 24

n Configuring Permissions for vCenter Users, on page 24

n TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for Conversion, on page 25

n Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows Operating Systems, on page 26

Supported Operating SystemsYou can install Converter Standalone components only on Windows operating systems.Converter Standalone supports Windows and Linux operating systems as sources for powered-on-machineconversions and virtual-machine conversions. You cannot reconfigure Linux distributions.

Table 21. Supported Operating Systems

Supported Operating Systems

ConverterStandaloneSupport

Source for PoweredOn MachineConversions

Source for VirtualMachineConversions

ConfigurationSource

Windows XP Professional (32-bitand 64-bit) SP3

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bitand 64-bit) SP2

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit)SP2

Yes Yes Yes Yes

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Table 21. Supported Operating Systems (Continued)

Supported Operating Systems

ConverterStandaloneSupport

Source for PoweredOn MachineConversions

Source for VirtualMachineConversions

ConfigurationSource

Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and64-bit) SP2

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows Server 2012 (64-bit) Yes Yes Yes Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.x (32-bit and 64-bit)

No Yes Yes No


No Yes Yes No


No Yes Yes No


No Yes Yes No

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.x(32-bit and 64-bit)

No Yes Yes No


No Yes Yes No


No Yes Yes No

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (32-bit and 64-bit)

No Yes Yes No

Ubuntu 12.x (32-bit and 64-bit) No Yes Yes No

Ubuntu 13.04 (32-bit and 64-bit) No Yes Yes No

Supported Firmware InterfacesWith Converter Standalone you can perform conversions from BIOS and UEFI sources.

Converter Standalone preserves the firmware interface during the conversion. You cannot convert BIOSsources to UEFI destinations and the reverse.

For UEFI sources, the supported destination types are Workstation 8.0 and later, ESXi 5.0 and later, andvCenter Server 5.0 and later.

Table 22. Supported Sources Based on Operating System and Firmware InterfaceOperating System BIOS 32-Bit UEFI 64-Bit UEFI

Windows XPProfessional SP3

Yes No No

Windows Server 2003R2 SP2

Yes No No

Windows Vista SP2 Yes No Yes

Windows Server 2008SP2

Yes No Yes

Windows Server 2008R2

Yes No Yes


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Table 22. Supported Sources Based on Operating System and Firmware Interface (Continued)Operating System BIOS 32-Bit UEFI 64-Bit UEFI

Windows 7 Yes No Yes

Windows 8 Yes No Yes

Windows Server 2012 Yes No Yes

Red Hat EnterpriseLinux 3.x

Yes No No


Yes No No


Yes No No


Yes No Yes

SUSE Linux EnterpriseServer 9.x

Yes No No


Yes No No


Yes No No

Ubuntu 10.x Yes No No

Ubuntu 11.x Yes No Yes

Ubuntu 12.x Yes No Yes

Ubuntu 13.04 Yes No Yes

Supported Source TypesWith Converter Standalone, you can convert remote powered on machines, powered off VMware virtualmachines, Hyper-V Server virtual machines, and other third-party virtual machines and system images.

Table 23. Supported SourcesSource Type Sources

Powered on machines n Remote Windows physical machinesn Remote Linux physical machinesn Local Windows physical machinesn Windows virtual machines running on Hyper-V Servern Powered on VMware virtual machinesn Powered on Hyper-V Server 2012 virtual machinesn Powered on virtual machines running under Red Hat KVM or RHEL XEN

VMware vCenter virtualmachines

Powered off virtual machines managed by the following servers:n vCenter Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.5n ESX 4.0 and 4.1n ESXi 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.5

VMware virtual machines Powered off hosted virtual machines running on the following VMware products:n VMware Workstation 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, and 10.xn VMware Fusion 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, and 6.xn VMware Player 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x

Chapter 2 System Requirements

VMware, Inc. 19

Table 23. Supported Sources (Continued)Source Type Sources

Hyper-V Server virtualmachines

For Hyper-V Server versions distributed with Windows Server 2008 R2, powered offvirtual machines with the following guest operating systems:n Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64), SP1 and SP2n Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64) R2 SP1 and SP2n Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64) SP2n Windows Server 2008 (x64) R2 and R2 SP1n Windows 7 (except Home editions)n Windows Vista SP1 and SP2 (except Home editions)n Windows XP Professional SP2, SP3, and x64 SP2For other Hyper-V Server sources, perform the procedure for powered on physicalmachines.

Third-party virtual machinesor system images

n Acronis True Image Echo 9.1 and 9.5, and Acronis True Image Home 10 and 11(.tib).

n Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (formerly LiveState Recovery) 6.5, 7.0, 8.0,and 8.5, and LiveState Recovery 3.0 and 6.0 (.sv2i format only).

n Norton Ghost version 10.0, 12.0, and 14.0 (.sv2i format only).n Parallels Desktop 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 (.pvs and .hdd). Compressed disks are not

supported.n Parallels Workstation 2.x (.pvs). Compressed disks are not supported. Parallels

Virtuozzo Containers are not supported.n StorageCraft ShadowProtect Desktop, ShadowProtect Server, ShadowProtect Small

Business Server (SBS), ShadowProtect IT Edition, versions 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2(.spf).

n The Microsoft VHD format for the following sources:n Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 and Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 (.vmc)n Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 and 2005 R2 (.vmc)

Sources that run Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 can be converted to ESX 4.0 or later destinations.

Supported Destination TypesWith Converter Standalone, you can create virtual machines compatible with VMware hosted and managedproducts.

Table 24. Supported DestinationsDestination Type Supported Versions

VMware vCenter virtual machines Managed destinationsn ESX 4.0 and 4.1n ESXi 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.5n vCenter Server 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.5

VMware hosted virtual machines Hosted destinationsn VMware Workstation 7.x, 8.x, 9.x, and 10.xn VMware Fusion 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, and 6.xn VMware Player 3.x, 4x, 5.x, and 6.x

For UEFI sources, the supported destination types are Workstation 8.0 and later, ESXi 5.0 and later, andvCenter Server 5.0 and later.


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Supported Source Disk TypesConverter Standalone supports conversions from master boot record (MBR) and GUID partition table (GPT)disks with some limitations that depend on the selected data cloning mode.

NOTE Converter Standalone preserves the partitioning scheme during the conversion. You cannot convertan MBR source disk to a GPT destination disk and the reverse.

Converter Standalone supports all types of basic and dynamic disks for disk-based conversions with theexception of GPT/MBR hybrid disks.

Table 25. Supported and Nonsupported Source Volumes and DisksSource Supported Volumes and Disks Nonsupported Volumes and Disks

Virtual machine n Basic volumesn All types of dynamic volumesn Master boot record (MBR) disksn GUID partition table (GPT) disks

n RAIDn GPT/MBR hybrid disks

Powered on machine n All types of source volumes thatthe operating system recognizes

n GUID partition table (GPT) disksn Master boot record (MBR) disks

n RAIDn GPT/MBR hybrid disks


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Supported Destination Disk TypesSeveral destination disk types might be available for the selected destination.

Table 26. Destination Disk TypesDestination Available Disk Types

VMware vSphere virtual machine Thick Copies the entire source disk size to thedestination, regardless of its used andfree space.

Thin For managed destinations that supportthin provisioning through GUI, createsan expanding disk on the destination.For example, if the source disk size is10GB, but only 3GB is used, the createddestination disk is 3GB but can expandto 10GB.

Managed destinations of virtual machine version 10 andlater support disks up to 62TB in size. Earlier virtualmachine versions support up to 2TB disks.

VMware Workstation or other VMware virtual machine Pre-allocated

Copies the entire source disk size to thedestination, regardless of its used andfree space.

Not pre-allocated

Creates an expanding disk on thedestination. For example, if the sourcedisk size is 20GB, but only 5GB is used,the created destination disk is 5GB butcan expand to 20GB. Take thisexpansion into account when youcalculate the free disk space on thedestination datastore.

Split pre-allocated

For disks smaller than 2TB, splits thesource disk into 2GB sections on thedestination.

For disks larger than 2TB, splits thesource disk into 2TB sections on thedestination.

Split not pre-allocated

For disks smaller than 2TB, creates 2GBsections on the destination that includeonly the real used space on the sourcedisk. As the destination disk grows,new 2GB sections are created toaccommodate the new data until thesize reaches that of the original sourcedisk.

For disks larger than 2TB, creates 2TBsections on the destination that includeonly the real used space on the sourcedisk. As the destination disk grows,new 2TB sections are created toaccommodate the new data until thesize reaches that of the original sourcedisk.


22 VMware, Inc.

Table 26. Destination Disk Types (Continued)Destination Available Disk Types

Hosted destinations of virtual machine version 10 and latersupport up to 8TB disks. Earlier virtual machine versionssupport up to 2040GB disks.Hosted destinations support disks sizes larger than 2040GBonly if the Split not pre-allocated disk type is selected.

To support destination virtual disks on FAT file systems, split the source data into 2GB files.

Support for IPv6 in Converter StandaloneConverter Standalone supports both IPv4 and IPv6 Internet protocols with several limitations.

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6 or IPng) is the successor to Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), which is thecurrently used protocol for assigning IP addresses to computers on the Internet. IPv6 was adopted toovercome the expected exhaustion of IPv4 addresses that might be caused by the constantly increasingnumber of computers on the Internet.

While IPv4 uses 32bit addresses, IPv6 uses 128bit. IPv6 addresses can have different formats or notations.

n 1040:0:0:0:0:0:0:1

n 1040::1

n 21DA:00D3:0010:2F3B:02AA:00FF:FE28:9C5A

n [2001:0db8:85a3:08d3:1319:8a2e:0370:7344]:443

Converter Standalone supports all IPv6 notations for all components of the system.

n Converter Standalone installer

n Converter Standalone client

n Converter Standalone agent

n All destinations supported in Converter Standalone

Along with the higher security level and much larger address space, IPv6 brings about some compatibilitytasks that have not been resolved yet. For example, IPv4-only nodes cannot communicate directly with IPv6nodes and need additional routing. This makes the end-to-end support of mixed IPv4 and IPv6environments precarious.

To reduce this complexity, Converter Standalone supports only pure IPv6 or IPv4 environments, where theconversion source, the conversion destination, and the Converter Standalone server and agent must run thesame version of IP.

NOTE You cannot use IPv6 to customize the guest operating systems of virtual machines.

Installation Space RequirementsDuring installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want to install. Allcomponents require different amounts of free disk space to install.

Table 2-7 shows the disk space required to install Converter Standalone and its components.


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Table 27. Installation Space Requirements

Installation Component Disk Space RequiredDisk Space Requirement for DecompressedFiles

Installation file 100MB 100MB

vCenter Converter client 25MB 25MB

vCenter Converter server 120MB 300MB

vCenter Converter agent 25MB 100MB

Screen Resolution RequirementsTo display wizards properly, Converter Standalone requires a screen resolution of at least 1024x768 pixels.

Configuring Permissions for vCenter UsersTo convert virtual machines to vCenter Server machines with Converter Standalone, you must have certainvCenter Server permissions set at the datacenter level.

To start using Converter Standalone, you need to set a number of minimum privileges at the datacenterlevel.

n Datastore.Allocate space

n Datastore.Browse datastore

n Host.Local operations.Create virtual machine

n Host.Local operations.Delete virtual machine

n Host.Local operations.Reconfigure virtual machine

n Network.Assign network (required only if you plan to connect the destination virtual machine to anetwork)

n Resource.Assign virtual machine to resource pool

n Virtual machine.Configuration

n Virtual machine.Interaction.Power On (required only if you choose to power on the destination virtualmachine after conversion)

n Virtual machine.Inventory

n Virtual machine.Provisioning.Allow disk access

n Virtual machine.Provisioning.Allow read-only disk access

Converting Linux and powered on Windows machines might require a number of additionalvCenter Server privileges.

n Virtual machine.Interaction.Configure CD media (required only if you need to boot a converted Linuxvirtual machine to install media after the conversion)

n Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Create snapshot (required only if you want to synchronizechanges between the source and destination Windows virtual machine)

n Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Remove Snapshot (required only if you want to synchronizechanges between the source and destination Windows virtual machine)

For more information about setting permissions, see the vSphere Datacenter Administration Guide.


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TCP/IP and UDP Port Requirements for ConversionTo enable conversion, the Converter Standalone server and client must be able to send data to each other, toremote physical machines, and to vCenter Server. Also, the source and destination hosts must receive datafrom each other. Designated ports are reserved for this communication.

If any of these ports is blocked, the corresponding conversion task fails.

Ports Used When Converting a Powered On Physical Machine RunningWindows

Table 2-8 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of physical machine sourcesrunning Windows.

Table 28. Ports Required During Windows P2V

Communication PathsCommunicationPorts Notes

Converter Standalone server topowered on source machine

TCP - 445, 139,9089UDP - 137, 138

If the source computer uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required.If NetBIOS is not being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are notrequired. When in doubt, make sure that none of the ports areblocked.NOTE Unless you have installed Converter Standalone serveror agent on the source computer, the account used forauthentication to the source computer must have a password,network file sharing must be enabled on the source computer,and Simple File Sharing must not be used.

Converter Standalone server tovCenter Server

TCP - 443 Required only if the conversion destination is avCenter Server.

Converter Standalone client tovCenter Server

TCP - 443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and clientcomponents are on different machines.

Converter Standalone server to thedestination ESX/ESXi

TCP - 902 Converter server always requires access to ESX/ESXi at port902.

Powered on source machine toESX/ESXi

TCP - 443, 902 If the conversion destination is vCenter Server, only port 902 isrequired.

Ports Used When Converting a Powered On Physical Machine Running LinuxTable 2-9 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of physical machine sourcesrunning Linux.

Table 29. Ports Required During Linux P2VCommunication Paths TCP Ports Notes

Converter Standalone server topowered on source machine

22 Used to establish an SSH connection between theConverter Standalone server and the source machine.

Converter Standalone client toConverter Standalone server

443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and clientcomponents are on different machines.


443 Required only if the conversion destination is a vCenter Server.

Converter Standalone server toESX/ESXi

443, 902 If the conversion destination is a vCenter Server, only ports 902and 903 are required.


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Table 29. Ports Required During Linux P2V (Continued)Communication Paths TCP Ports Notes

Converter Standalone server to helpervirtual machine

443

Helper virtual machine to powered onsource machine

22 Used to establish an SSH connection between the helper virtualmachine and the source machine. By default, the IP address ofthe helper virtual machine is assigned by DHCP. If no DHCPserver is available on the destination network, you mustmanually assign the target virtual machine an IP address.

Ports Used When Converting Virtual Machine SourcesTable 2-10 contains a list of the ports that must be open during the conversion of virtual machines.

Table 210. Ports Required During V2V

Communication PathsCommunicationPorts Notes

Converter Standalone server toFileshare path

TCP - 445, 139UPD - 137, 138

Required only for standalone virtual machine sources ordestinations. If the computer hosting the source ordestination path uses NetBIOS, port 445 is not required. IfNetBIOS is not being used, ports 137, 138, and 139 are notrequired. When in doubt, make sure that none of the portsare blocked.

Converter Standalone client toConverter Standalone server

TCP - 443 Required only if the Converter Standalone server and clientcomponents are on different machines.


TCP - 443 Required only if the conversion destination is avCenter Server.

Converter Standalone server toESX/ESXi

TCP - 443, 902 If the conversion destination is a vCenter Server, only port902 is required.

Requirements for Remote Hot Cloning of Windows OperatingSystems

To avoid problems related to permissions and network access, ensure that simple file sharing is turned offand that Windows Firewall does not block file and printer sharing. Also, to access file and printer sharingports, you might need to change the scope of the IP addresses that the firewall allows.

To ensure successful remote hot cloning of Windows platforms, verify the following conditions on thesource machine before you start the application:

n Ensure that simple file sharing is turned off.

n Ensure that file and printer sharing is not blocked by Windows Firewall.

You must allow incoming file share connections in the following situations:

n When you use the machine to host standalone images

n When you use the machine as a standalone destination

n When you hot clone the machine remotely

For Windows Vista and later, you must either use an administrator account for Converter Standalone whenlogging to the source machine, or disable UAC on the source machine.

To enable customization of the guest operating system, install Sysprep files on the machine where ConverterStandalone server runs.


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Ensure that Windows Firewall Does Not Block File and Printer SharingIf Converter Standalone fails to connect to a remote Windows XP machine and issues a badusername/password error message, ensure that file and printer sharing is not blocked by Windows Firewall.

Procedure

1 Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy.

2 In the Security Settings list on the left, select Local Policies > Security Options.

3 In the policies list on the right, select Network access: Sharing and Security model for local accounts.

4 Verify that Classic local users authenticate as themselves is selected.

What to do next

For troubleshooting information about file and printer sharing, search the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

For information about setting file and printer sharing on other Windows systems, see the documentation foryour system.

Turn Off Simple File Sharing on Windows XP ProfessionalTo control permissions for individual users, you must turn off simple file sharing on the source machine.

Turning simple file sharing off does not turn off the Shared Documents feature. Use the simple file sharingUI, located in the folders properties, to configure share and file permissions.

For Windows XP Professional operating systems that are part of a workgroup, the simple file sharing UI isturned on by default. Windows XP Professional operating systems that are part of a domain use only theclassic file sharing and security interface.

Procedure

1 On the source machine, select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options.

2 Click the View tab and deselect Use Simple File Sharing (Recommended).

Simple file sharing is turned off.

What to do next

For more information about turning simple file sharing on or off, see the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

Prepare the Guest Operating System for CustomizationTo customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine that runs Windows Server 2003 or WindowsXP, you must save the Sysprep files to the specified locations on the machine where Converter Standaloneserver runs.

If Sysprep files are missing from the server machine, the Customize Guest OS option is not accessible in theConverter Standalone wizards.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have obtained the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system. You candownload the Sysprep files from the Microsoft Download Center.


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Procedure

u Save the Sysprep files that correspond to the source operating system on the machine whereConverter Standalone server runs.

If you have downloaded a .cab file, you need to extract its contents. If you have downloaded an .exefile, double-click the downloaded file to start the Sysprep installation.

Operating System Action

Windows Server 2003 (32bit) Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter ConverterStandalone\sysprep\svr2003

Windows Server 2003 (64bit) Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter ConverterStandalone\sysprep\svr2003-64

Windows XP (32bit) Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter ConverterStandalone\sysprep\xp

Windows XP (64bit) Save the Sysprep files in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware vCenter ConverterStandalone\sysprep\xp-64

What to do next

You can now customize Windows Server 2003 (32bit and 64bit) and Windows XP (32bit and 64bit) guestoperating systems by using the Conversion or the Configuration wizard.


28 VMware, Inc.

Conversion Limitations 3When you are aware of the conversion limitations of Converter Standalone, you might be able to avoidconversion and post-conversion problems, and handle them more easily.


n Conversion Limitations for Powered On Machines, on page 29

n Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual Machines, on page 29

n Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or System Images, on page 30

n Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows Sources, on page 31

Conversion Limitations for Powered On MachinesWhen you convert a powered on machine, some conversion features might not be available for certainsource operating systems.

Table 31. Limitations for Powered On Machine ConversionSource Operating System Limitations

Windows XP and later n When you convert UEFI sources, Converter Standalone does not copy any UEFIvariables to the destination.

n Synchronization is supported only for volume-based cloning at the block level.

Linux n Only volume-based cloning at the file level is supported.n Only managed destinations are supported.n Converting multiboot virtual machines is supported only if GRUB is installed as the

boot loader. LILO is not supported.n When you convert UEFI sources, Converter Standalone copies only the current

UEFI boot entry option to the destination.n Simultaneous cloning of multiple disks and volumes is supported only when

converting a virtual Linux source.n Converting machines with boot directory located on a LVM logical volume is not

supported. The boot directory must be located on a basic volume.n Installing VMware Tools on Linux guest operating systems is not supported.

Conversion Limitations for VMware Virtual MachinesCertain limitations exist when you convert a VMware virtual machine.

You must power off source virtual machines before you convert them. You can convert running virtualmachines if you follow the procedure for converting powered on machines.

VMware, Inc. 29

For volume-based conversions of virtual machine sources that run Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012,Converter Standalone does not preserve storage pools on the destination.

For volume-based conversions of UEFI sources, Converter Standalone does not preserve the UEFI settings.The UEFI settings are preserved during disk-based conversions.

When you convert a virtual machine with snapshots, the snapshots are not transferred to the destinationvirtual machine.

Certain limitations are applicable when you convert Linux virtual machine sources.

n Only disk-based cloning is supported for Linux guest operating systems.

n Configuration or customization is not supported for Linux guest operating systems.

n Installing VMware Tools is not supported on Linux guest operating systems.

Conversion Limitations for Third-Party Virtual Machines or SystemImages

Converter Standalone can convert third-party virtual machines, system images, ShadowProtect images, andBackupExec System Recovery images. These conversions have limitations.

Third-Party Virtual Machines and System ImagesThird-party virtual machines and system images have the following limitations.

n Virtual machines created with Macintosh versions of Virtual PC are not supported.

n The operating system on the source Virtual PC or Virtual Server virtual machine must be a Windowsguest operating system supported by the destination VMware platform (for example, Workstation 8.xor 9.0). For a list of supported operating systems, see the Guest Operating System Installation Guide.

Converter Standalone supports Virtual PC and Virtual Server virtual machines with most Windowsoperating systems earlier than Windows NT 4.0 and with non-Windows operating systems (forexample, Linux and DOS) only for cloning. Converter Standalone does not support these systems asconfiguration sources.

n Parallels Virtuozzo containers are not supported.

ShadowProtect and Backup Exec System RecoveryShadowProtect and Backup Exec System Recovery have the following limitations.

n Dynamic disks are not supported.

n All images for the backup of a machine must be in a single folder. The source folder must not containimages that are not part of the backup.

n For volume-based cloning, all volumes in the disk up to the active and system volumes must be backedup. For example, if a disk has four partitions, 1 through 4, with partition 2 as the active volume andpartition 3 as the system volume, the backup must include partitions 1 through 3.

n For incremental images, up to 16 incremental backups are supported.

n ShadowProtect images of systems with logical drives are not supported if the logical drive is also asystem or active volume.


30 VMware, Inc.

Limitations Related to Creating Snapshots of Windows SourcesConverter Standalone uses VSS snapshots to save the state of source volumes during hot cloning of physicaland virtual machines that run Windows. VSS snapshots are also used to synchronize the destination virtualmachine with the source machine after the initial conversion. Some of the VSS-related issues are inherited inConverter Standalone and can prevent the proper completion of your conversion tasks.

Read the limitations listed in Table 3-2 before you initiate a conversion task.

If your conversion task fails with an VSS-related error message, you can check the table for possible reasonsand workarounds.

Table 32. VSS Snapshotting LimitationsVSS Limitations Error Messages Workarounds

For all operating systems thatsupport volume-based cloning,you need at least one NTFSvolume for VSS to work.

There is no workaround for thislimitation.

VSS under Windows Vista andlater does not support FAT andFAT32.

Deselect all FAT and FAT32volumes on the View/EditOptions page of thevCenter Converter wizards.

VSS under Windows Server 2008does not support unformatted orunrecognized volumes.

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source volume. Error code :2147754764 (0x8004230C)

n Format all unformatted orunrecognized volumes andtry the conversion again.

n Deselect all unformatted orunrecognized volumes whilesetting up the conversiontask in the Data to copy paneof the View/Edit Optionspage.

If the space in the VSS snapshotstorage area is not enough forVSS to create a snapshot, theconversion fails.

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source volume. Error code: 2147754783(0x8004231F)

Clean up the source volumes,especially the system volumeand all NTFS volumes, and try toconvert the source again.

Importing powered-on Hyper-Vsources fails if the following twoVSS services are not started orare not operating properly on thesource machine:n Microsoft Software Shadow

Copy Provider Servicen Volume Shadow Copy

Service

Failed to create VSS snapshot of source volume. Error code: 2147754758 (0x80042306)

1 Set the starting mode forMicrosoft Software ShadowCopy Provider Service andVolume Shadow CopyService to Automatic.

2 Restart the source machineand try cloning it again.

Chapter 3 Conversion Limitations

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32 VMware, Inc.

Installing and Uninstalling ConverterStandalone 4

You can install Converter Standalone on a physical or a virtual machine. You can also modify or repair aConverter Standalone installation.

The Local setup installs the Converter Standalone server, Converter Standalone agent, and ConverterStandalone client for local use.

NOTE Local installation of Converter Standalone complies with the following security restrictions:n After the initial setup, the use of an administrator account requires physical access to the product.

n You can manage Converter Standalone only from the machine where it is installed.

During the client-server installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want toinstall on your system.

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes a serverfor conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standalone server and theConverter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remote Converter Standalone serversor create conversion jobs locally.

If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remote Converter Standalone server.You can then use the remote machine to convert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, orremote physical machines.


n Perform a Local Installation on Windows, on page 33

n Perform a Client-Server Installation in Windows, on page 34

n Perform a Command-Line Installation in Windows, on page 36

n Command-Line Options for Windows Installation, on page 36

n Modify Converter Standalone in Windows, on page 37

n Repair Converter Standalone in Windows, on page 38

n Uninstall Converter Standalone in Windows, on page 39

n Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone Server, on page 39

Perform a Local Installation on WindowsYou can install Converter Standalone on a physical or a virtual machine. The local setup installs theConverter Standalone server, Converter Standalone agent, and Converter Standalone client for local use.

If you install Converter Standalone in local mode, you can create and manage conversion tasks only fromthe machine on which you installed the application.

VMware, Inc. 33

Prerequisites

Verify that your system meets the Converter Standalone system requirements.

Verify that you have Administrator privileges.

If you have Converter 3.0.x installed and your machine runs Windows Vista, uninstall Converter 3.0.xmanually before you install Converter Standalone 5.5.

If you have an earlier version of Converter Standalone agent on the system, uninstall Converter Standaloneagent.

Procedure

1 Download the latest version of Converter Standalone from the VMware Web site.

2 In the folder that contains the installer file you downloaded, double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-.exe file, where is the number of the build.

3 Follow the prompts till the End-User License Agreement page appears.

4 Select I accept the terms in the License agreement and click Next.

5 On the Destination Folder page, select the location to install Converter Standalone and click Next.

The default location is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

6 On the Setup Type page, select Local installation and click Next.

7 On the Ready to Install page, click Install.

8 (Optional) On the Installation Completed page, deselect Run VMware vCenter Converter StandaloneClient now if you want to start the application later.

9 On the Installation Completed page, click Finish.

A prompt might ask you to restart your system.

Converter Standalone is installed on the local machine and is ready for use.

What to do next

You can use Converter Standalone to convert physical or virtual machine sources to virtual machinedestinations.

Perform a Client-Server Installation in WindowsPerform a client-server installation so that you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely.

During the client-server installation, you can select the Converter Standalone components that you want toinstall on your system.

Prerequisites





Procedure



34 VMware, Inc.

2 In the folder that contains the installer file you downloaded, double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-.exe file, where is the number of the build.

3 Follow the prompts till the End-User License Agreement page appears.

4 Select I accept the terms in the License agreement and click Next.

5 On the Destination Folder page, select the location to install Converter Standalone and click Next.

The default location is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

6 On the Setup Type page, select Client-Server installation (advanced) and click Next.

7 On the Custom Setup page, select the components that you want to install and click Next.

Option Description

Converter server Converter Standalone server manages the conversion tasks. It handles thecommunication between the Converter Standalone clients and ConverterStandalone agents. You cannot install Converter server alone. You mustinstall Converter Standalone server together with Remote access or withthe Converter Standalone client, or with both.

Remote access If you install Remote access, local and multiple remote ConverterStandalone clients can connect to the local Converter Standalone server.With Remote access you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely.For remote access, you must perform a client-server installation.

Converter agent Install Converter Standalone agent so that the local machine can be asource machine for conversions.

Converter client If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remoteConverter Standalone server. You can then use the remote machine toconvert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, or remotephysical machines.

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes aserver for conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standaloneserver and the Converter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remoteConverter Standalone servers or create conversion jobs locally.

8 (Optional) If you decided to install Remote access or Converter Standalone agent, modify the Webservice ports on the Port Settings page.

n Type the HTTPS port service number.

n Type the HTTP port service number.

n Type the Agent port service number.

9 On the Ready to Install page, click Install.

10 (Optional) If you installed the Converter Standalone client, deselect Run Converter Standalone Clientnow to complete the installation without starting the application at this time.



The selected Converter Standalone components are installed on the local machine and are ready for use.

What to do next


Chapter 4 Installing and Uninstalling Converter Standalone

VMware, Inc. 35

Perform a Command-Line Installation in WindowsYou can install Converter Standalone from the MS-DOS command prompt or by writing a Windows batchfile (.bat) to automate the installation process.

Prerequisites





Procedure


2 Open an MS-DOS command prompt window.

3 At the command line, navigate to the local directory to which you downloaded the installer.

4 To install Converter Standalone silently with the log file written to the temp directory, enter:

VMware-converter-5.x.x-.exe /s /v"/qn ADDLOCAL=ALL /l*v %TEMP%\vmconvservermsi.log"

where VMware-converter-5.x.x-.exe is the full installer filename.

For more command-line options, see Command-Line Options for Windows Installation, on page 36.

What to do next


Command-Line Options for Windows InstallationYou can use the command-line installation options when you install Converter Standalone from the MS-DOS command prompt in Windows or by writing a Windows batch file (.bat).

For a list of options to perform command-line installation, see Table 4-1.

Table 41. Command-Line OptionsOption Action

/s Does not display the Windows Installer version check.

/v"params" Passes parameters to the msiexec.exe file.

/qn Runs the msi command in silent mode.

/qb Runs the msi command in basic mode.

/qf Runs the msi command in full mode.

/l*v Logfile Records login information in the file provided in Logfile.

/x Uninstalls VMware vCenter Converter Standalone.

ADDLOCAL="ALL" Installs full package. The parameter is case-sensitive.

PROPERTY=property value Sets the value of a property to property value.


36 VMware, Inc.

Table 41. Command-Line Options (Continued)Option Action

VMCE_HTTP_PORT Sets the HTTP port. The default is 80. Remote machinesconnect to the server through this port to download theConverter Standalone client.

VMCE_HTTPS_PORT Set the HTTPS port. The default is 443. Remote ConverterStandalone clients connect to this port on the server andsubmit conversion tasks.

VMCE_AGENT_PORT Sets an Agent port. The default is 9089. Remote ConverterStandalone servers connect to this port to convert thismachine.

Modify Converter Standalone in WindowsTo change the installed Converter Standalone agent or the communication ports for the ConverterStandalone components, you must modify the Converter Standalone installaton.

Prerequisites


Close the Converter Standalone application before you start the installer wizard.

Procedure

1 To start the Converter Standalone installer, perform one of the following actions:

n Go to the folder that contains the installer file and double-click the VMware-converter-5.x.x-.exe file, where is the number of the build. Check the number of the build to see ifit matches the build you installed.

n Select Add or Remove Programs from Control Panel, select Converter Standalone from the list, andclick Change.

2 On the Welcome page of the installer wizard, click Next.

3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Modify and click Next.

4 On the Custom Setup page, select the components that you want to install and click Next.

Option Description

Converter server Converter Standalone server manages the conversion tasks. It handles thecommunication between the Converter Standalone clients and ConverterStandalone agents. You cannot install Converter server alone. You mustinstall Converter Standalone server together with Remote access or withthe Converter Standalone client, or with both.

Remote access If you install Remote access, local and multiple remote ConverterStandalone clients can connect to the local Converter Standalone server.With Remote access you can create and manage conversion tasks remotely.For remote access, you must perform a client-server installation.


VMware, Inc. 37

Option Description

Converter agent Install Converter Standalone agent so that the local machine can be asource machine for conversions.

Converter client If you install only Converter Standalone client, you can connect to a remoteConverter Standalone server. You can then use the remote machine toconvert hosted virtual machines, managed virtual machines, or remotephysical machines.

When you install the Converter Standalone server and Remote access, the local machine becomes aserver for conversions, which you can manage remotely. When you install the Converter Standaloneserver and the Converter Standalone client, you can use the local machine to access remoteConverter Standalone servers or create conversion jobs locally.

5 (Optional) If you decided to install Remote access or Converter Standalone agent, modify the Webservice ports on the Port Settings page.

n Type the HTTPS port service number.

n Type the HTTP port service number.

n Type the Agent port service number.

6 On the Ready to Modify page, click Install.

7 (Optional) If you installed the Converter Standalone client, deselect Run Converter Standalone Clientnow to complete the installation without starting the application at this time.



The selected Converter Standalone components are installed on the local machine and are ready for use.

What to do next


Repair Converter Standalone in WindowsYou can repair the Converter Standalone installation to check for and reinstall the Converter Standaloneclient or Converter Standalone agent.

Prerequisites



Procedure





3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Repair and click Next.


38 VMware, Inc.

4 On the Ready to Repair page, click Install.



What to do next


Uninstall Converter Standalone in WindowsYou can uninstall Converter Standalone by using the Microsoft Windows Add or Remove Programs utilityfrom the Control Panel or by using the VMware vCenter Converter Standalone installer wizard.

Prerequisites



Procedure





3 On the Program Maintenance page, select Remove and click Next.

4 On the Ready to Remove page, click Remove.



Connect to a Remote Converter Standalone ServerYou can use the Converter Standalone client to connect to a Converter Standalone server installed on aremote machine.

Prerequisites

Ensure that the Converter Standalone server and agent are installed on the remote machine.

Procedure

1 Start Converter Standalone.


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2 Follow the procedure that is applicable for your installation type.

Option Action

Local installation a Select Administration > Connect to another server.b On the Converter Standalone login page, select Enter the IP address or

host name of the Converter Standalone server.c Provide the IP address and Administrator credentials, and click Login.

Client-server installation withremote access

a On the Converter Standalone login page, select Enter the IP address orhost name of the Converter Standalone server.

b Provide the IP address and Administrator credentials, and click Login.

What to do next

You can now use the remote Converter Standalone server to set up and manage conversion tasks.


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Convert a Physical or Virtual Machine 5You can create a conversion job to convert a physical or virtual machine to a variety of destinations. You canconvert physical machines, VMware virtual machines, third-party backup images and virtual machines, andHyper-V Server virtual machines into VMware standalone virtual machines or virtual machines thatvCenter Server manages.

The approach you take for creating the conversion job is determined by the type of source and the type ofdestination that you select.

Source type A powered on physical or virtual machine, a vSphere virtual machinerunning on an ESX/ESXi host, a standalone virtual machine, or a third-partybackup image.

Standalone virtual machines include VMware virtual machines, and third-party virtual machines and backup images, such as VMware Workstation,Acronis True Image, Microsoft Virtual PC, Symantec Backup ExecServer Recovery (formerly known as LiveState Recovery),LiveState Recovery, StorageCraft, Parallels Desktop for Microsoft Windowsand Mac OS, Parallels Workstation, and Norton Ghost (only .sv2i) images.

For a complete list of supported source types and product versions, see Supported Source Types, on page 19.

Destination type ESX/ESXi host, ESX/ESXi host that vCenter Server manages, or a VMwarestandalone virtual machine.

For a complete list of supported destination types and product versions, see Supported Destination Types, on page 20.

Procedure

1 Start the Wizard for a Conversion on page 42The Conversion wizard guides you through the steps of creating a conversion job.

2 Select a Source Machine to Convert on page 42You can select from several source options for the type of machine to convert.

3 Select a Destination for the New Virtual Machine on page 48When you set up a conversion job, you must select a destination for the new virtual machine.

4 Configure the Hardware of the Destination Virtual Machine on page 51You can configure the virtual hardware resources that the destination virtual machine uses.

5 Configure the Software on the Destination Virtual Machine on page 64You can configure the guest operating system so that it is ready to operate in a virtual environment.

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6 Configure the Conversion Job on page 69You can configure the conversion process and select the behavior of the source and destinationmachine during and after conversion. You can change the status of the source and destination servicesonly when the source machine is running a Windows operating system.

7 Review the Summary and Submit the Conversion Job on page 74On the Summary page, you can view a summary of the conversion job before you add it to the job list.

Start the Wizard for a ConversionThe Conversion wizard guides you through the steps of creating a conversion job.

Procedure

1 Start the Converter Standalone application.

2 Click Convert machine in the application menu.

The Conversion wizard opens on the Source System page.

What to do next

You can now select the source machine type to convert.

Select a Source Machine to ConvertYou can select from several source options for the type of machine to convert.

Prerequisites

Before you select a source machine to convert, verify that it is listed in the list of supported source types. See Supported Source Types, on page 19.

n Select a Powered On Windows Machine to Convert on page 43You can select a running (powered on) Windows machine to convert. The source machine can bephysical or virtual.

n Select a Powered On Linux Machine to Convert on page 44You can select a powered on Linux machine to convert. The source machine can be a physical orvirtual machine.

n Select an ESX/ESXi or vCenter Server Virtual Machine to Convert on page 44You can convert a powered off virtual machine that is located on an ESX/ESXi host, or on an ESX/ESXihost managed by vCenter Server.

n Select a VMware Hosted Virtual Machine to Convert on page 46You can convert a virtual machine created or used in a VMware hosted product, such as VMwareWorkstation, VMware Player, and VMware Fusion.

n Select a Backup Image or a Third-Party Virtual Machine to Convert on page 46You can select a backup image or a third-party virtual machine as the conversion source.

n Select a Hyper-V Server Virtual Machine to Convert on page 47You can convert virtual machines that Hyper-V Server manages.


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Select a Powered On Windows Machine to ConvertYou can select a running (powered on) Windows machine to convert. The source machine can be physical orvirtual.

Prerequisites

Before you continue, you must prepare the source Windows machine for conversion.

n Make sure that the Windows version installed on the powered on machine is supported. For a list ofsupported operating systems, see Supported Operating Systems, on page 17.

n Make sure that the Converter Standalone server machine has network access to the Windows sourcemachine.

n Turn off firewall applications running on the source machine.

n Disable simple file sharing on the source Windows machine.

n Make sure that no other conversion job is using the source you select.

n Remove any VMware Converter 3.x installations manually from the source machine.

n If you plan to convert a powered on machine by using IPv6, ensure that Converter Standalone server isinstalled on the operating system.

n If you plan to convert a powered on machine by using IPv6, ensure that the operating system isWindows Vista or later.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select Powered-on machine from the Selectsource type drop-down menu.

2 Select an option that corresponds to your source machine location.

Source Location Action

Local Click This local machine.For local machines, the authorization is set to the current user and cannotbe changed. If remote access is enabled during Converter Standaloneinstallation, the local machine is treated as a remote physical machine.

Remote a Click A remote machine.b Provide the IP address or name of the machine and administrator

credentials.c Select the operating system type from the OS Family drop-down

menu.

3 (Optional) Click View source details to see hardware and software information about the sourcemachine.

4 Click Next.

If Converter Standalone agent is not already installed on the source machine, a dialog box prompts youto confirm the installation and select an uninstallation method for Converter Standalone agent.

5 (Optional) Select the uninstallation procedure for Converter Standalone agent and click Yes.

Converter Standalone agent is installed on the source machine.

Converter Standalone agent prepares the source machine for conversion.

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What to do next

On the Destination System page, you can select the destination type for the new virtual machine.

Select a Powered On Linux Machine to ConvertYou can select a powered on Linux machine to convert. The source machine can be a physical or virtualmachine.

You can convert powered on machines that run Linux only if GRUB is installed as the boot loader on thesource. LILO boot loader is not supported.

Prerequisites

Before you continue, you must prepare the source machine for conversion.

n Enable SSH on the source Linux machine.

n Make sure that you use the root account to convert a Linux powered on machine.

n Make sure that the Converter Standalone server machine has network access to the Linux sourcemachine.

n Make sure that no other conversion job is using the source you select.

n To be able to convert multiboot virtual machines, make sure to install GRUB as the boot loader. LILO isnot supported.

Procedure

1 On the Source System page of the Conversion wizard, select Powered-on machine from the Selectsource type drop-down menu.

2 Provide the IP address or DNS name and root credentials for the Linux machine you want to convert.

3 From the OS Family drop-down menu, select Linux.

4 Click Next.

Converter Standalone connects to the powered on Linux machine and prepares it fo